Message/Signal bus for handling signals globally?

xRegnarokx

So, I recently ran across the idea of using a message/Signal bus autoload (an autoload that stores all your signals you need to emit). The principle being that you wouldn't have signals inside nodes but rather in the autoload, and would emit and connect them by calling the global.

This was put forth as a way to decouple signals.

The idea as I understand it would be now I can call the global MessageBus.emit(some signal), and MessageBus.some_signal.connect(some_func)

This would mean that my recieving/ connecting nodes wouldn't need to have a reference to the emitting node in order to connect.

Thoughts on this? Pros/cons?

xyz

xRegnarokx It's fine but if you desperately need this for many signals it may be a sign that the overall architecture of your project is bad.

DaveTheCoder

I use that method in both Godot 3 and Godot 4, and I like it.

xRegnarokx

xyz I wouldn't say I need it. Everything is working without having it. There are some signal chains though due to the way I have UI setup. Where the UI_controller is alway loaded under the game_root node that I have. However the main_menu scene that is instantiated under ui_controller signals game_root to switch to gameplay from menu.

So, it send signal to ui_controller that then sends signal to game_root.

There are ways I could change this if I had main_menu always active and just changed visibility. Or upon instantiating main_menu signaled game_root to have it connect directly to the signal.

I also use editor in a couple of UI scenes to connect nested nodes to scene root to prevent either a really long signal chain, or a really long direct reference.